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Kobe Drops the Double F-Bomb

Our sometimes hero Kobe got into trouble.In the middle of a game, he dropped two F-bombs on a ref. The first was the normal F-bomb, the non-biblical word for knowing someone in a biblical manner. The second F-bomb was a word used to demean and humiliate gays.

His outburst will cost him a fine of $100k. Kobe apologized and did the usual: “I didn’t mean anything… it didn’t reflect my true feelings.”

Okay, let’s take him at his word. So, assuming it was said in the heat of the moment and doesn’t represent some deeper truth and his soul is really pure, does that mean the punishment is too much? Is $100k a meaningful disincentive or punishment for someone who makes that much about 18 minutes into every game?

But there is a still deeper issue that I’d pose to those who want to minimize this as a minor infraction that we should just get past. If this were not a slur on gays but he had called the ref an F-bombing K-word (slur on Jews) would we be so understanding, or would he become the new Mel Gibson? If a white player, in questioning the sanity, competence and eyesight of a black ref, had dropped the N-word, would we let it pass with a slap on the wrist? If the answer is Yes, then okay. But I don’t think that the answer would be Yes.

I think that most of us know how very seriously hurtful and inappropriate the K & N words are. However, to far too many an anti-gay slur does not yet reach that level of impermissibility. To me it does. Hate speech is hate speech, and when we slur by race, religion or sexuality, it is the same offense and deserves the same level of rebuke.
2011 Jonathan Dobrerwww.Dobrer.com

I didn’t realize Kobe was still around. Haven’t we had enough of him? I think he got a small taste of what he deserves, but the fine should have been ten times larger so he would get the message loudly and clearly.

Unfortunately, the F-Bomb has become a “normal” part of everyday language and it really shows just how far down the slope we are traveling.